Celiac Disease versus Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Diagnostic Dilemma

43 INTRODUCTION Irritable bowel syndrome is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by an alteration in bowel habit with abdominal pain in the absence of detectable structural disease (1). It is characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort in association with diarrhea, constipation, alternating diarrhea and constipation, or a mixture of these symptoms. It occurs in approximately 10%–20% of the U.S. population (2). The cause of IBS is unknown but a variety of mechanisms have been proposed (3,4). Celiac disease (CD), also known as non-tropical sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an autoimmune disorder characterized by intestinal malabsorption that occurs after an inflammatory T-cell mediated response occurs in susceptible individuals after ingesCeliac Disease versus Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Diagnostic Dilemma TREATMENT OF IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME, SERIES #8